The incident took place at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time at the Catalyst Refiners plant, which processes silver from chemical residues. Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said the leak occurred as workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility. He described a chemical gas reaction involving nitric acid and another substance that caused the leak, adding that there was a violent reaction of the chemicals that instantaneously overreacted.
Seven ambulance workers responding to the leak were among the injured, according to multiple reports. Some people were taken to hospitals in private cars, and one casualty was transported in a garbage truck, Sigman said. All deaths and injuries occurred on the plant site. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding area and lifted more than five hours later. A large-scale decontamination operation was required, where people had to remove all clothes and be sprayed down.
Catalyst Refiners works to remove silver from chemical process residues. Ames Goldsmith Corp., the owner of Catalyst Refiners, expressed sadness and said it would cooperate with investigators. 'This is an unfathomably difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleagues and their families,' the company said in a statement.
Sigman noted the dangers of chemical reactions, saying, 'Starting or ending a chemical reaction are the most dangerous times.' He also said that the leak was not immediately noticeable off-site: 'You had to get really close to the facility to smell it.'
The specific substance that reacted with nitric acid has not been identified, and the cause of the violent reaction remains under investigation. The current condition of the 19 hospitalized individuals has not been disclosed. It is unclear whether any environmental impacts were reported outside the plant site, and the safety protocols in place at the time of the incident have not been detailed.